One Day in Yangon
The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar
Exploring Yangon for One Day
After a couple of magical days in Inle Lake, our tour of Myanmar was nearing its end, but we had one more stop planned: a one-day visit to Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon.
Yangon is the largest city in Myanmar. In its core, British colonial architecture is predominant. It is a bustling city with traffic jams, markets, parks, and modern high rises.
One of the main attractions is the Shwedagon Pagoda, seen in the photo above.
But what else could we see and do, having just one day left in Myanmar?
Two monks leaving the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon
Bus From Inle Lake to Yangon
We were slightly anxious about this last leg of our Myanmar journey, as it involved an overnight bus ride from Inle Lake to Yangon. We had not done an overnight bus ride since we traveled from Denmark to ski in the Alps in the late eighties/early nineties.
We were looking at a 10-hour ride, 570 kilometers, 354 miles, and we picked JJ Express again. Tickets were $25.00 per person. Blankets were provided, and we were armed with melatonin, water, and snacks to get us through the night.
When we arrived in Yangon at 5:30 a.m., we both agreed it was not as bad as we had feared. The melatonin did the trick, and we managed to get some rest.
The JJ Express bus from Inle Lake to Yangon
Deep sleep was out of the question as the roads are bumpy in this part of the world. We shared a cab with another couple to the city center, $2.50 per couple.
Backpacker Bed & Breakfast
We stayed at the Backpacker Bed & Breakfast in the downtown core. A superior double with a private bath costs $26.00 for one night. The room included free toiletries, a shower, air conditioning, toilet paper, towels, linens, slippers, and wake-up service.
It was tight quarters at the Backpacker B&B—a narrow set of stairs led to the elevator, which took us to a tiny lobby.
There was just enough room around the bed to put our bags. Back on the elevator, we went to the small rooftop restaurant, which was fine and quite cozy.
The room was not available until 1 p.m., but they let us have the included breakfast on arrival as we would be leaving early the following morning before the restaurant opened. Good service.
We had eggs, toast, coffee, and tea, then reshuffled our luggage and left four bags at the front desk. It was time to head out and explore.
A busy side street in the downtown core of Yangon, Myanmar
Self-Guided Walking Tour
With an early start to the day, we wandered toward the Shwedagon Pagoda. The morning commute was in full swing, and the markets were already busy.
The 3.3-kilometer walk was a great way to get a feel for the city before entering the main attraction.
Yangon, walking route suggestion. Click to view a larger map.
Shwedagon Pagoda
It was easy to spot the Shwedagon pagoda from a distance. The 112-meter, 367-foot pagoda is located on Singuttara Hill, 51 meters, 167 feet above sea level, and its value is estimated at a whopping $3 billion. We arrived at 8:30 a.m., and it wasn’t too crowded yet.
The walkways leading to and from the Shwedagon Pagoda are almost as impressive as the pagoda itself. Countless vendors are set up along the way. And the view from the pagoda was equally impressive.
We explored the Pagoda for a while, but tiredness was setting in after our overnight bus ride, and as the heat intensified, we decided to head out in search of a strong coffee.
The Shwedagan Pagoda
Coffee Break in Yangon
We meandered down the streets towards General Aung San Park and enjoyed the nice weather. Some of the streets were quiet; this is often the setting we cherish when traveling.
Di found a Café with good ratings nearby. The Bodhi Nava Café had just the mix we were looking for: great coffee and a soothing mango pineapple smoothy bowl in a quiet setting.
It gave us the energy we needed to walk back to the Backpackers B&B, where we crashed for a well-deserved nap.
Colonial buildings in decay
High Tea at The Strand
Our friends Gerd and Niels suggested we go for high tea at The Strand. It was about a 15-minute walk, and we spotted several older buildings with British colonial architecture, many of them left in decay.
Di was excited about the high tea, so I was excited that Di was excited. :) Jokes aside, it was fun to witness the remains from colonial times, but I found it a bit fake and pretentious. Di enjoyed the experience.
The Sule Pagoda
We spent the remaining part of our day walking around the Sule Pagoda and Maha Bandula Park. This was a wonderful experience in the warmth of a January evening.
Friends and families gathered in the park, and there was a genuinely good and peaceful atmosphere. We made it an early night, as alarms were set for 4:30 a.m. the next morning, when we had an early flight for Kuala Lumpur.
The Sule Pagoda in Yangon
Departure From Yangon
We left Backpackers B&B at 5:20 a.m. on foot, heading for a nearby bus stop. The streets were quiet, and we saw rats running up and down the sidewalks. Maybe we should have taken a taxi after all.
We did find the bus stop, and I felt impatient, wanting to be at the airport already. A very friendly local man was also headed for the airport, and he helped us get on the right bus and even helped pay the fare as we didn’t have the exact change.
He gave us his card and said we should contact him if we get back to Yangon.
Final Thoughts on Yangon and Myanmar
The Burmese people were so friendly to us, from the first day in Mandalay to an exceptional adventurous stay in Bagan and an incredible boat tour in Inle Lake. It was one of our favorite destinations during our 5050 Travelog project.
The last day in Yangon was as hectic as the city itself, and we admit it was our least favorite destination in Myanmar.
We are glad we did not miss Yangon, but as we arrived at the airport, we were happy to be on our way.
People gathered in Maha Bandula Park in Yangon, Myanmar
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos.
